Tears of a Frost Giant
by elphieheart
Summary: This is the explanation behind Loki's descent into madness and his unusual reactions throughout Thor and The Avengers. A love story that rivals Romeo and Juliet. Loki x Sigyn. Doesn't follow comics or legends. T for mentions of torture and suicide. Cover belongs to Marvel.
1. Chapter 1

**This can stand as a story by itself, but it is actually part of a larger fanfiction, _The Avengers: Compromised. _Please read and review and let me know what you think! This is basically my idea of why Loki went crazy and why you can see him crying at various moments in both _Thor_ and _The Avengers_. Takes place after Thor returns from Loki's trial. Big thanks to my first followers: vampiresorvampyres, InsertBoringNameHere, Shannon K, and srosegarden. You guys are awesome! Another huge thank you to my first ever reviewer: chipfairy! You rock!**

"So, is Rock of Ages rotting in a jail somewhere?" Tony Stark asked the Norse god of thunder as he entered the lounge area of the Avengers' safe house. He grabbed the television remote and a cup of coffee and plopped down onto the sofa across from where Thor was standing, staring into the fire. Stark was incredibly knowledgeable about a lot of things, but he was terrible at reading other people. He failed to notice Thor's expression as he waited for the answer to his ill-timed question. When no answer came, he tried to press the issue. "Or is an eternity in prison too good for that evil, masochistic b—"

"Stark!" Jane Foster spoke up before Tony could finish the sentence that just might get him killed by a rogue strike of lightning. "Just leave it."

"What?" Stark shrugged. "I'm just asking—"

"Leave it!"

"No, Jane," Thor interrupted gently, turning away from the fireplace. "He has the right to know." Stark leaned forward expectantly. "However, I believe that the other warriors who fought against my brother have earned that right as well. I shall wait for them to return before I tell of my brother's fate." With that, he silently left the room.

Tony looked at Jane incredulously. "What's up with Point Break? Don't tell me he's upset about his royal craziness again."

"Actually, he is." Jane retorted. Tony set his coffee down hard, almost breaking the mug. Jane glared piercingly, resisting the urge to smack him.

"What?!"

"Loki's trial wasn't exactly easy for Thor." Jane pointed out. "Although he did commit terrible crimes and killed a lot of people, he's still Thor's brother and Thor still cares about him." She got up to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Besides," she said. "It was a shock for him to hear Loki explain everything. Thor is really struggling to come to terms with it."

"What do you mean 'explain everything'?" Agent Barton asked as he entered the room along with Natasha, Bruce, and Steve. "He's a psychopath, what's there to explain?"

Jane thought for a moment and gestured for everyone to sit down, grabbing the coffee pot and bringing it and a variety of mugs with her. "I suppose since Thor is ready to explain, I'll tell you. But please remember to keep an open mind." And with that, Jane began telling the story of Loki and his descent into madness.

"It started hundreds of years ago – don't look at me like that, Stark. You know aging works differently over there. Anyway, Loki and Thor were just children when Loki began to show an aptitude for magic and illusions. This made him an outcast among their friends, who believed that magic was a way of cheating in battle. Thor stood up for him, but Loki never did quite fit in after that. While the others spent their time sparring and training physically, Loki spent his time in the library, reading books on magic. It was there that he met Sigyn."

_Loki sat at one of the large tables in the center of the empty library, poring over volumes describing different versions of magic and how to perfect certain techniques. He was so deeply involved in his reading that he didn't notice the girl who had snuck up quietly behind him._

_ "What are you reading?" Loki nearly fell out of his chair in surprise. The young lady flushed, realizing whom she was addressing. "I'm…I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to startle you." She apologized with a hurried curtsy._

_ "It's okay." The young prince blurted nervously. "It's just… not many people can sneak up on me."_

Natasha blinked in recognition. That was almost exactly what Loki had said to her on the helicarrier. Realizing Jane was still talking, she brushed the thought aside and returned her attention to her friend.

_"My name's Loki." He said._

_ "I know that!" She giggled, kneeling to pick up her spilled books. "Everyone knows who you are!"_

_ "Well who are you, then?" Loki countered._

_ "My name is Sigyn." She curtsied again. "So, what are you reading, your highness?"_

_ "I'm not a 'highness'. That's my father. I'm just Loki."_

_ "Okay. So, what are you reading, just Loki?" She sat down next to him._

_ "I'm trying to learn more about this spell for creating a copy of yourself."_

_ "Why would you want to do that?"_

_ "It just sounds like fun. Plus, if I can make more than one copy, I can outnumber my brother and his friends!"_

_ Sigyn laughed at his slightly bitter answer. "That's amazing! I've tried to do a bit of magic myself, but…" she blushed furiously. "I'm not very good."_

_ Loki's expression brightened. "Maybe I could teach you?"_

_ Sigyn grinned. "Oh yes, please, Prince Loki!"_

_ He grinned back. "But only if you call me Loki."_

"So this Sigyn and Loki were friends once? What does that have to do with anything?" Stark complained.

"Well," Jane paused as she wondered how to continue. "They were more than friends. She was his wife."

Stark nearly choked, successfully spraying Clint with his coffee. "What?! Reindeer Games is _married?_" His expression of surprise was shared by almost everyone in the room.

Jane shook her head. "No. He _was _married."

"So, this girl dumps him and he goes all Stalin on planet earth?" It was Clint's turn to interrupt, his bitterness clearly visible as he cleaned up the spattered drink.

"No, that's not—"

"Then what happened?"

"She died." Thor spoke quietly (which, to be fair, was still pretty loudly). Taking a deep breath he left his position in the doorway to join his friends around the coffee table "Thank you, Jane Foster. I'll carry the tale from here."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Review from Chapter One: _**

**"Then what happened?"**

**"She died." Thor spoke quietly (which, to be fair, was still pretty loudly). Taking a deep breath he left his position in the doorway to join his friends around the coffee table "Thank you, Jane Foster. I'll carry the tale from here."**

"About sixteen years ago, by your Midgardian standards, Sigyn was betrothed to a warrior named Theoric. Everyone thought it was a beautiful match, and the wedding date was set for one week later. What we were unaware of, however, was that Theoric was not always the chivalrous knight he appeared to be in public. A few days before the wedding, my brother and Lady Sigyn met secretly for what they believed was to be the last time."

_Loki walked unnoticed through the streets of Asgard, his cloaking spell successfully hiding him from the watchful eyes of those around him, and the even more watchful eyes of Heimdall. Leaping gracefully over the garden wall of his friend's house, he brooded over the loss of the only person in the realm who understood him. _

_ As he stealthily climbed the vine-covered walls to Sigyn's window, he heard a sound that almost made him lose his grip on both the vines and his magic. He scaled the last few meters as fast as he could and burst into the room to see Theoric, drunk and angry, gripping Sigyn violently by her wrists and forcing her against the door. With a snarl, he dropped his concealment charm and leapt at her attacker. But before he could land a single blow, Theoric was gone._

_ Loki was about to chase after him and make him regret ever touching his Sigyn when he saw her face. His friend, who was normally brave and cheerful, was heartbroken and terrified. As he turned toward her, she fell into his arms, weeping._

_ "Don't cry, please don't cry." He begged into her golden curls. He had never seen her cry before, and he felt as though his own heart was breaking. Holding her head gently, he looked into her sea blue eyes. "Don't fret. I'll tell my father what has happened here and you can—"_

_ "No, Loki, you mustn't!" Sigyn pulled away from him, shaking her head. _

_ "In Odin's name, why not?" He almost yelled._

_ "Because Theoric may be an ignorant brute but he's clever enough to know that if it comes down to your word against his, he will be the one believed. He's assured me of this before now, many times. I can't let that happen, or I'll never be allowed to see you again!"_

_ Loki's eyes suddenly turned cold as her words registered in his mind. "What do you mean, 'many times before'? Has he hurt you before tonight?" He clenched his fist in anger as Sigyn looked away; her action gave him the answer he had feared. "What am I supposed to do, Sigyn? I can't just sit here and watch you as you are forced to marry that monster!"_

_ "I don't know, Loki! But I can't lose you, I can't!" She turned away before any more tears could escape her eyes. Moving onto the balcony, she gripped the rail as if by doing so she could stop the world from turning and time from passing, wishing for all the world that she didn't not have to get married in just a few days._

_ Meanwhile, Loki paced furiously around her room, fighting the urge to smash something, anything. He wanted to kill Theoric; at the very least he wanted to punch him as hard as he possibly could. Loki had never realized how much Sigyn meant to him until he faced a future without her. _

_ As he gradually began to calm down, his mind travelled back to when he had first met Sigyn, and an idea began to form in his head. He didn't know if it would work, or even if Sigyn would agree to it, but he would be willing to face rejection if it meant saving her from her marriage to Theoric. Loki slowly joined her on the balcony, staring across the horizon as he nervously searched for a way to broach the subject of his solution. _

_ "What if…?" He began gently. "What if you didn't have to marry him?"_

_ Sigyn smiled dejectedly at her friend. "I wish I didn't." She thought of her love for the man standing next to her and fought back a wave of anger and sadness at her arranged marriage. "I would give anything not to have to marry that monster. But our families have already arranged everything. If I don't go through with this, without provable reason, it could cause my family to lose everything. And… and I'm afraid of what he'll do if I refuse." Sigyn looked down at her hands._

_ Loki took her hands into his own. "He won't be able to do anything. Not if everyone believes that you did marry him."_

_ "What on Asgard are you talking about?"_

_ Loki took a deep breath, gathering his courage. "Sigyn, I love you more than anything. For you, I could take his place in disguise. No one would know until it was too late. And Theoric would be powerless to stop it." He suddenly blushed. "That is if you would have me? I—"_

_ Sigyn didn't let him finish; instead she flung herself into his arms and kissed him passionately. Now it was her turn to blush as she pulled away. "Yes." She smiled as joyful tears ran down her face. "Yes, Loki, I will marry you."_

_ Loki's face lit up and he embraced her, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. Settling her back on her feet, he kissed her once more._

_ "On one condition," Sigyn whispered when she was able to speak again. "You marry me as yourself first. In secret. No disguises, no lies. Just you and me."_

_ "Done." Loki kissed her again, for once in his life the happiest man in the world._

"Did it work? Did he marry her?" Steve asked eagerly, caught up in the story his friend was telling.

"Yes. My brother and Lady Sigyn were married that night, and no one but the two of them and a witness were privy to that knowledge. Not until he himself told us on the day of his trial."

"How in the world did they manage to keep it secret for that long?" Natasha asked.

"They didn't." Thor said remorsefully. "As Sigyn had requested, Loki merely incapacitated Theoric in a sleeping spell until after the wedding. The plan was that once he had woken and returned to Asgard, the truth would come out. But only two days after they were secretly wed, something happened that changed my brother forever."

_It was the day before Sigyn was scheduled to marry Theoric. He, of course, was concealed under a sleep spell and hidden somewhere on Asgard. Loki sat in the library, and although he appeared to be deeply engrossed in the history of Asgard, he was secretly fingering the wedding ring in his pocket, lost in thought. He was so absorbed in thinking about his love for Sigyn and the events of the past few days (and nights) that he failed to notice his brother entering the library. Thor, with his muscular stature and formidable nature looked rather absurd against the backdrop of books and scrolls. The prince rushed to where his brother sat, his pounding footsteps snapping Loki from his reverie._

_ "What is it, Thor?" He asked, annoyed. "I'm reading." But as Loki looked up at his brother and saw the expression on his face, he dropped his book onto the floor without a second glance. "What happened? What's wrong?"_

_ "It's Lord Iwaldi's household. They're under attack. Come brother, we must hurry." But Loki was already out the door; Lord Iwaldi was Sigyn's father._

_ He and Thor ran through the streets of Asgard, toward the Iwaldi estate where their small force was waiting, having already discovered the attackers had fled. Thor ran up to the commander, Loki following right behind. _

_ "Report." Thor ordered._

_ "My lord, we do not know who attacked Lord Iwaldi, but whoever it was appears to have fled. He and his family have been instructed to gather in the courtyard."_

_ Loki didn't wait to hear whatever else the soldier had to say. He pushed his way into the building, running past servant after servant in search of Sigyn. He entered the courtyard, but she wasn't there, only her father and a few of her sisters. Rushing past them he ran to Sigyn's room. As he pushed the broken door out of the way, his heart stopped. Sigyn was lying in the center of the room, unmoving._

_ "Sigyn!" Loki screamed, but no sound came out. He rushed to her side, kneeling next her and cradling her lifeless body in his arms. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. The world around him disappeared as he cried, his tears falling into her hair as he hugged her close to him and sobbed. Nothing mattered anymore. His life, his Sigyn, was gone._

_ When Thor found him a few minutes later, he was carrying her body carefully to the courtyard. Thor could see that he had been crying but, for once in his life, chose to ignore it. Sigyn had been like a little sister to him, and seeing her lying lifeless in his brother's arms was a shock to him. Sigyn had died, the day before she was to be married, nonetheless. Thor was so absorbed in his own anger and sadness that he failed to notice Loki gripping two rings tightly in his hands as he walked away._


	3. Chapter 3

**Another thank you to my followers, reviewers, and supporters. You guys are awesome!**

_**End of Chapter 2:**_

**_When Thor found him a few minutes later, he was carrying her body carefully to the courtyard. Thor could see that he had been crying but, for once in his life, chose to ignore it. Sigyn had been like a little sister to him, and seeing her lying lifeless in his brother's arms was a shock to him. Sigyn had died, the day before she was to be married, nonetheless. Thor was so absorbed in his own anger and sadness that he failed to notice Loki gripping two rings tightly in his hands as he walked away._**

"That's terrible." Bruce commented quietly. "But why would that cause him to hurt thousands of people? It was, as you told us, over fifteen years ago, in earth years."

"My brother was distraught after her death. I thought he was just mourning the loss of a dear friend. I had no idea they had been married. And he didn't hurt anyone, not at first."

"For years after her death, he was obsessed with discovering who had attacked her household. He spent hours upon hours scouring through magic scrolls, looking for anything that might help him catch her killers. He didn't find anything, however, until just a few years ago. He finally uncovered a spell that allowed him to see exactly what had happened that night." Thor looked at the ground. "It was the frost giants."

"Why didn't he just tell someone?" Steve asked. "If these giants killed Lady Sigyn, surely—"

"He did." The Asgardian answered bitterly. "He told me. But I didn't listen!" Thor was furious with himself. "He came to me, babbling something about frost giants and Sigyn dying. I was so absorbed with my upcoming coronation that I refused to believe him. He told Sif, the warriors three, and my father, but no one would listen to him!" Thor took a deep breath.

"_That's_ why he let the frost giants sneak into Asgard. He wanted us to have a reason to attack Jotunheim, so he allowed a few warriors to slip past the barriers during my coronation. He knew I would be furious and that I would want revenge. He was right."

"Loki, Sif, and the warriors three joined me in my attack against Jotunheim. Loki merely wanted an excuse to find out who exactly had killed her, and why. He got his answer."

"When Laufey, the king of the frost giants, taunted me, he said that there were many traitors in the house of Odin. I didn't think anything of it at the time. I merely saw it as a childish attempt to make me angry. However, Loki was clever enough to realize that Laufey was talking about him."

"Well, duh." Tony scoffed. "He betrayed you by letting these ice monsters into your home. So what?"

"No. That's what I had believed until Loki confessed at the trial about his marriage to Sigyn. Laufey didn't know that Loki was responsible for the hole in Asgard's security until Loki told him a few days later. Laufey was referring to the fact that Loki had married Sigyn when she was betrothed to Theoric."

"Loki realized this, and realized that the frost giants, although they were the ones who had killed Sigyn, were not the ones responsible for her death. Theoric was. Theoric had made a deal with the frost giants, allowing them into Asgard to kill Sigyn for her betrayal. Loki tried to get us to retreat, but my foolish pride and thirst for war ignored him, and I attacked."

"So why didn't Loki just go find this Theoric and kill him?" Tony prodded.

"Because during the battle, a Jotun warrior captured Loki by his wrist. However, instead of suffering from cold burns as Volstagg had done, Loki was unharmed."

"So?" Natasha asked.

"Loki realized, in that moment, that he was not a normal Asgardian. My father told him the truth of his parentage shortly after my exile to Midgard. He was a frost giant. Had his true origins been the only significance of that discovery, none of the killings would have happened. But Loki remembered how the Jotuns had killed Sigyn, and he realized that the last person she had seen before she died was a person of his own kind. The guilt was more than he could handle, and he slowly began to fall apart."

"Everything he did after that moment, he did to keep me out of the way so he could exact his revenge. When I foiled his plan, his sorrow over Sigyn's death became more than he could handle, and he allowed himself to fall into the abyss." Thor's eyes darkened with sadness. "My brother tried to kill himself because none of us would listen to him, and he thought it was the only chance he had of seeing Sigyn again."

Thor buried his head in his hands. "I should have known, I should have realized." Jane gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "When he was fighting me, he was so angry. He was furious with me because I hadn't believed him, but he was more enraged with himself. He blamed himself for Sigyn's death."

"I thought he was just angry because father had chosen me as his heir, but when he realized my feelings for Jane, I saw a tear fall down his face. He was distraught because I had the one thing he would never have again. I should have made the connection, but I didn't." There was a moment of silence.

Steve was the first to speak. "So how did Loki go from distraught victim to raging psychopath? Why did he attack earth?"

Thor looked up sadly. "That, my friend, is the worst part of this story. I wish my brother had died when he fell off of the Bifrost. Death would have been a better fate than what awaited him in the Void."


	4. Chapter 4

**End of Chapter 3:**

**Steve was the first to speak. "So how did Loki go from distraught victim to raging psychopath? Why did he attack earth?"**

** Thor looked up sadly. "That, my friend, is the worst part of this story. I wish my brother had died when he fell off of the Bifrost. Death would have been a better fate than what awaited him in the Void."**

"Loki refused to go into details regarding what happened to him after he fell. He merely stated that the Chitauri had given him an offer. If he defeated the earth and captured the Tesseract, their leader would use the cube's power to bring Sigyn back from the dead."

Steve stared at Thor incredulously. "The cube can do that?"

Thor shook his head. "No. It cannot."

"Then why did Loki agree to their deal?" This came from Natasha. "Surely he's clever enough to realize that no power in the universe can bring back the dead."

Thor paused, struggling for a way to explain. "Do you recall when Clint Barton was possessed by the scepter?"

"No, I had completely forgotten." Clint replied sarcastically.

Thor either chose to ignore him or neglected to understand the sarcasm. "The scepter had originally belonged to the Chitauri. My father and I believe it was used on my brother to convince him that it was, in fact, possible."

"But Loki didn't have the creepy blue eyes that both Dr. Selvig and Agent Barton had when possessed." Steve pointed out. "No offense, Clint."

"No, Loki didn't have the same eyes, but neither did I." This was Dr. Banner. "When we fought on the helicarrier, I had no signs of possession, but I still managed to pick up the scepter without even remembering that I had. Perhaps it's possible to become at least i_nfluenced _by its power without becoming fully possessed."

"Even if that's true," Natasha argued. "Why didn't the Chitauri just possess him completely like Loki did with the others? They had the scepter. They could have easily used it to control him."

"You are forgetting, Lady Natasha, that Loki is not human. I have come to the conclusion that only those of your race can be possessed by the scepter. However, my brother had just fallen into the Void and was probably tortured by the Chitauri before they attempted to control him. His weak physical and mental state allowed them partial access."

"So you're saying that it's not his fault?" Tony protested angrily.

"No, it is his fault." Agent Barton said bitterly. "But maybe not as much as we've thought." Everyone looked at him in surprise. Of all the people in the room, Barton was the one they would expect to blame Loki the most. After all, he had been forced to kill a lot of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and was still suffering from the guilt of that experience.

"What do you mean?"

Clint looked at the ground. "When I was possessed by Loki, I couldn't do anything to stop what was happening. I shot Director Fury to incapacitate him because Loki wanted him alive. Loki wanted Fury to gather all of us together so he could defeat us. And I've never been able to beat Nat in a sparring match." He smiled up at her briefly. "Yet Dr. Selvig said that he had been able to build a safety into the portal to cut the power using _Loki's_ scepter. What if… what if it wasn't Dr. Selvig, but Loki himself who wanted a way to stop the portal?" Clint met Tony's angry gaze. "Look, I'm not saying that Loki is innocent, but maybe he was influenced just as Dr. Banner was."

There was a moment of silent as everyone pondered the implications of everything that had been said in the past hour. They had fought against Loki and defeated him, but now they were beginning to question whether he was really the enemy, or just a pawn in someone else's game.

Thor finally broke the silence. "My brother did not claim innocence or try to lessen the charges against him. He merely wanted for us to understand what he had gone through. And he wanted my forgiveness." Thor gently took Jane's hand in his.

Tony glared at him. "And you gave it to that crazy son-of-a—"

"TONY!" Jane warned.

He ignored her. "He killed hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of lives! He doesn't deserve anyone's forgiveness!"

"And what if this had been you and Lady Potts instead of Loki and Sigyn?" Thor growled. "What would you have done?" Tony didn't answer. "I forgave my brother because if something happened to Jane, I… I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same! Everything my brother did, he did because he loved Sigyn. And maybe he was wrong. But I know that I cannot be the one to judge him for fighting for the one he loves. He is in jail and his powers have been taken away, as my father ordered." Thor stood and turned to leave the room. "But I can't say that I agree with him. My brother has already suffered enough because of my actions. I should be the one begging for his forgiveness, not he for mine." With that, he and Jane quickly left the room, leaving five shocked superheroes behind to think about what he had said.

Tony began to ask himself what he would have done in Loki's place. If one of his own suits killed Pepper… he didn't know what he would do. He couldn't imagine living without her. If the Ten Rings had offered him a chance to save her, he would have accepted any deal without the torture that the frost giant had endured.

Steve already knew the answer to what he would have done in Loki's place. Had someone found a way to return him to Peggy's time, he would have been willing to do almost anything in exchange for the trip.

Bruce didn't let himself think about the subject for too long. He had already experienced blaming himself for losing someone he loved, and his actions had destroyed an entire town. If Betty had died because of him, Loki's attack on earth would look like a car accident compared to what the "other guy" would do.

Clint and Natasha were both thinking along the same line. Although they would never admit it, they cared deeply for each other. It wasn't love, but something much stronger than that. And they both knew they would tear the universe apart for a chance to save each other.

And, in a prison cell on Asgard, a frost giant recently released from the Tessaract's influence faced the truth of what he had done. He wished desperately that his powers had not been taken away, so that he might be able to kill himself and end the pain and regret that tormented his existence, and so he could finally be reunited with his beloved wife. He gripped the twin wedding bands tightly in his hand and drifted off into a restless sleep, dreaming of the woman he had loved and lost as a single, icy tear slid down his cheek.

**Sorry for the horrendous ending everybody! (Well, no, I'm not sorry…) Anyway, if you want to see what happens to Loki (and the Avengers) after his trial and after the team is compromised, then check out my other fanfiction – ****_The Avengers: Compromised_****. Thank you to all of the readers who followed this story and inspired me to continue writing. You guys are the best!**


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